I'm still exhausted with this schedule and traffic time... and we are just the first Wednesday of my first week (I'm always working 12 days in a row)... it's a chance that Monday will be a holiday, so I'll have a pause in my 12 days.

I was told by my dear hubby yesterday that we'll have to continue for 2 weeks, then we should have a week of break, and then 2 other weeks of this schedule, and after it will be over, and back to normal. Great new. I was afraid to have to live like this for months.

I hope I'll be able to come more often here at that moment (as before)...

I didn't even took the time to write a limerick in the whole September month... shame on me.

Thanks for the tour Scribbles ! Never been there ! Maybe someday

Concerning the Official Tengwar Transcription Thread - VITo all the newbees, Welcome to TORC ! Before posting anything on this thread, READ THE INTRODUCTION. For now, I didn't have the time to update the intro, so I let you read the intro of thread #IV here.

If you have any questions, feel free to ask in the threads or by email (isildilme@hotmail.com - write "Tengwar" somewhere in the subject in case you fall in my junkmail, because if I don't know, I wont open the message !). Note that I don't accept transcription requests by email, you have to post them here !

You can address yourself to me in French, Spanish or English as you wish.

Special message : I have now two precious sons. They are my priorities, and an additional explanation for the delays in my answers. I WILL answer you... but you might have to wait. Thank you for your comprehension.

I'm breaking this into two posts as it's very long - however there will be a pop quiz later.

Post 1.

Yep, that was Alaska and yep it was cruise. Alaska is beeeuuutiful!! Loved all the touring around that we did and sights we saw. I really!!!! wanted to do this but found I lacked the necessary equipment (ya know no b…s ) And we especially wanted to see these guys and these and these That day we actually saw the most whales that had been sighted in Icy Strait Point at one time all summer, very blessed.

The cruise was a belated 43rd anniversary gift the hub and I gave to each other. And, while I can say that the cruise staff were awesome, the things we saw were amazing and fellow passengers very friendly (mostly Brits, Aussies and Canadians) I can truthfully say that we discovered we are not cruise people so we most likely won't do it again. There was way to much down time - made me twitchy and while the food was certainly plentiful I can't say it was all that great…. though one night I did eat a piece of prime rib the size of my head - not recommended but I'd never had pr before.

It was nice getting home - and even nicer that our newest grandson decided to wait for our return. Our d-i-l was HUGE and I was pretty sure she was going to go early. As it was, he arrived exactly on due date. He was 9 1//2 lbs and nearly 22 inches so that certainly explained the size of her - poor thing.

Syl, so no sky flying-ness for you? I might freak out with the height.

I found I wasn't a cruise person either. You put it well with the too much down time. I likes to be on the ground wandering paths and doing things.

But the whales look friendly, waving to you like that.

FRIDAY at last! Been a long month without my assistant.

And sadly, one of my best friends is not having her contract renewed so sad she is out of work again. Prayers please for Linda to find something very quickly. She's already had 7 months of no work this year. And her cat died too. So not a good year for her.

Sorry about your friend's employment, nl.
I hope she finds another one soon.
And the best thing for a cat-less person is another cat.

Plumber found the leak.
It was in the bath tub drain.
They had to cut about a foot out of the outside of the house to get to it,
But we can take showers now without fear of flooding.

Never been on a cruise myself and never had the desire to do so.
But those were amazing pictures, syl.
And once more, congrats on the birth of your grandson.
May he grow in strength and spirit
And be the sparkle in your eye forever.

So yesterday, before the plumbers arrived,
I managed to get Pawkah and Pawsha into the house.
But not Rascal.
As I was about to get into the garage to get her, the plumbers arrived.
And that was that for getting Rascal.
She, being an all black cat, went ninja on me and I couldn't find her.
The guys were in and out of the house up and down the stairs
And the little ones did their best to escape
So, I stood in the garage, with the garage door open, to keep escaping cats in line.
Three hours on a cement floor is not something I'd recommend.
The plumbers went for parts, I closed the garage door and 5 minutes later ninja kitteh was wanting in.

I've really been enjoying all the other trips during Roadtrippin', delicious diners, lovely surf, even a trip to Rivendell… well at least a road sign.

Calma -

And the best thing for a cat-less person is another cat.

... or three. Good on the leak! Glad it wasn't a major thing and appeared to be caught early on. I found Bremerton and the Kitsap Peninsula to be so beautiful - must get down that way

Iris and Tooksie - Pennsylvania also very lovely or at least in your neck of woods. I've only been to the eastern part of the state but liked that as well, so perhaps the entire state is nice.

Vana - did you get the job at the Rhody café? I may have missed a post but couldn't find anything…

nl - sorry about your friend's job loss. I think having a friend unemployed is sometimes harder than being unemployed yourself. And glad your heart is good, but then you are good hearted… had to be said!

Scribbly - Hawaii looks very relaxing - I love surf in any form.

rwhen - for some reason I'd always thought you were European - seriously it doesn't get any more American than Vegas!!! And apparently I've been spending a lot of time following you and Vana around the country

heliona - I've been in love with Yorkshire since I first read All Creatures Great and Small - true it was fiction but I thought he'd really captured the essence of the locale - your tour of that area was so nice - someday I hope to get there and see it all for myself.

Isilly - hope your life gets more normal - too crazy - the good news is that you Canadians have another three day holiday on Monday. Don't know if you celebrate Columbus day but surely you celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving … and what do Canadians do on Thanksgiving. We Americans look upon our Thanksgiving as a day of family, food and football… and for some it's not necessarily in that order.

Wenchie - I'm sure you're right about not having your own space at work and feeling odd - I had a job like that once and then had my own work space and felt sooooo much better - btw - has the blanket bundle shown more that a hand?

ST - You are a very strong person I couldn't get paid enough to do your job.

to FRELGA!!!! Lewie of the now clean apartment, rowanberry, Lebasi. oldt0by, Martin of the Wormhole, CR, RoseMorningStar and anyone else I may have neglected.

And thank you all for the grandson congrats - he is a keeper.

And seriously!!!!! Honey Boo Boo - the really frightening thing is that after I'd read that, and then saw the terrifying video - I was flipping through the tv and actually saw it on tv - Oh the horror….. isn't there a law or something??!!

heliona - I've been in love with Yorkshire since I first read All Creatures Great and Small - true it was fiction but I thought he'd really captured the essence of the locale - your tour of that area was so nice - someday I hope to get there and see it all for myself.

Actually, what James Herriot wrote was mostly true, with a bit of artistic license. He was actually called Alan White, and is the main reason I went to Glasgow University! There are only about 6 vet schools in the UK, and Glasgow is one of them. When I was young, I wanted to be a vet (a grumpy biology teacher put me off and I knew that I wouldn't be able to get the grades anyway) and there was no other university for me, because James Herriot went to it! Well, I fell in love with the uni, even though I didn't end up studying Vet Science.

Well, I have some more photos of Nell, but my netbook is being very, very slow for some reason, so I can't put them up yet. But suffice to say that she's gorgeous and HUGE (relatively speaking!) and has a very shiny coat and is super-duper smart. Only two and a half months until I get to see her. In between that, I've got to knuckle down and get to work at uni. This is my last free weekday, I think. Next week it starts in earnest!